ohhell10339
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If your RV is older, keep moving, stranger!
I've been investigating monthly stays in high-rent RV parks (places like San Diego, Oregon coast, etc.) where I might want to stay for an extended period. Most places I'm seeing charge considerably less per day for a monthly as opposed to a daily or weekly stay. Though I consider many of these prices horrifying and ludicrous at the same time--$1000/mo or more for a 15x40 concrete slab with a water and sewage line!!!!!!--what seems to be an insurmountable obstacle is the idiotic and arbitrary 10-year rule. If your rig is older than 10 years, you DEFINITELY can't stay for a month and we might not let you into our Slabotopia at all, PEASANT! My rig is a perfectly presentable 1993 Class C, and though that obviously means I'm not one of the 1%, nothing about it says that I'm a no-good hippie who will deal drugs, leave trash on the lawn, or molest your sister. You would think that such a policy would drive away business, but there are apparently so many deep-pocket seniors driving new Mastodon Industries 85-foot General Electric jet-powered Luxury Cruisers who are perfectly cool with coughing up $100+/night (to park on a slab!!!!) that I guess they don't need us little folks. So for any of you who have suffered this bizarre form of age discrimination, how have you gotten around it? Does the prevalence of the "age rule" depend on how la-de-da the RV park is and how much the area is in demand? Have you managed to talk park managers into waiving the rule, maybe by dragging them by the scruff of the neck out to see your RV? And as far as that goes, how is such a blanket policy justified? Shouldn't it be on a case-by-case basis, or do these folks really think that the sight of a 2006 rig will detract from everyone else's experience?5.2KViews0likes40CommentsRe: Starting to Plan Our Western Trip
US 2 aka "the Highline" through NoDak and the boring eastern 2/3 of Montana is one. Long. Straight. Line. With grain silos! You have to really stretch the definition of "scenery" to tell yourself that there's anything to see there. Of course, EVERY route from the Mississippi to the Rockies passes through a thousand or more miles of nothingness. The trouble with the northern route is that the Rockies are considerably further to the west, so the nothingness drive is longer. The good news is that US 2 deposits you right at the doorstep of Glacier Park,and from there to Kalispell, Sandpoint, Spokane, Wenatchee, and over the Cascades to Everett, you have lots of wonderful scenery. My personal preference, though, would be to veer north from Sandpoint/Newport, WA and take US 20 through North Cascades NP--mountains like you've never seen and until you get to the national park proper, no competition for campsites to speak of.408Views0likes0CommentsRe: Mt Rainier
Depends on where you want to go. Longmire/Ohanapecosh/La Wis Wis (SE corner of park) are below 2000 ft elevation, so snow is not a problem. Sunrise is somewhat higher elevation, and if you want to go up to Paradise (and everyone does), the road will almost certainly be open but there may still be a lot of snow (or, a LOT of snow). This has been an above average snow year up there so far, so I would camp in the aforementioned SE corner, or if you like private slab campgrounds, in the small town of Packwood. Drive your car up to Paradise, any RV is a bad idea on that road.272Views0likes0CommentsRe: When did boondocking become weird?
toedtoes wrote: As you indicate that it was the overwhelming volume of vehicles and people that lessened your experience, then the OP's suggestion that we replace one big rig campsite with multiple smaller campsites would only increase that. Instead of one couple driving around in one toad, you'd have 2-4 couples in 2-4 vehicles driving around. Disingenuous comment. That poster indicated it was the presnce of big rigs, not cars. You must be well aware that a big rig driving into or out of a campground is noisy, disruptive, and annoying. Then when the generator starts up... Give me 3 or 4 tenters instead of one big rig any time. As far as "driving around," I rarely see people just "driving around" in a campground. They enter; they leave. A car doing that is minimally disruptive. A 40-foot rig chugging along and then the subsequent ceremony while the wifey screams directions to the driver as he's trying to back in, on the other hand... But the primary reason I want more tent and small RV spaces is that it allows people of modest means the ability to camp. You own a behemoth, you CAN camp anywhere. And yes, four tent sites allow 8-12 people to camp rather than a single old couple in a behemoth in the same space. So telling the behemoths to stay in a slab park outside the park boundaries allows more people to enjoy the park.397Views0likes0CommentsRe: When did boondocking become weird?
toedtoes wrote: Yes, you did state the exact words "big rigs should be BANNED from the national parks". So continue to lie and act the victim. You have spewed hatred on this thread since the first post. And your posts have been nothing but sweetness and light, and you have been an absolute paragon of truth and reason. *SNORT* Really, though, some people have managed to fathom what I'm saying. Why can't you? I'm not a rich man, and I always thought camping was one of the few available poor man's recreations. But it's become elitist, and in popular areas in particular, what facilities do exist are being configured to accommodate the $250K rigs with their luxury equipment. And because of this, it costs $40+ a night to even pitch a tent, as use fees pay for all the hookups (and widened access roads, and other infrastructure) AND generate a hefty profit for the facilities.397Views0likes0CommentsRe: Bryce National Park
MDKMDK wrote: Also recommend the Cowboy Pot Roast or the buffet at Ruby's Inn in Bryce City. You have to cook cowboys for a long time before they're tender, especially since the ones available these days are kind of old, tough, and stringy. I prefer beef. Ruby's is a pretty good base for exploring Bryce. It's also pretty much the ONLY base, unless you wish to stay inside the park in the Amphitheater area.440Views0likes0CommentsRe: Smaller RV's?
Veebyes wrote: It is taking time but America, particularly the US part of N America is learning what the Europeans have known all along. Bigger is not necessarily better. The days of the rolling McMansions may be numbered. You don't need to have enough open floor space in the middle to have a square dance. But what about the bowling alley and swimming pool? Can you possibly live for a weekend without those (especially if it's a three-day weekend)? One factor that does seem to periodically affect the sales and overall popularity of behemoth RVs is fuel prices. When gas hits $4 a gallon (as it has before and will again), getting 5 gallons to the mile no longer seems as tolerable. That may be an additional reason why you don't see them in Europe, as gas is over $8 a gallon there.373Views0likes0CommentsClass C, as in Cat
It seems to me that the cabover area would be great for a traveling cat. Easy to get up to, higher than anything else, and windows from which to watch the world go by. Has anyone set up a designated kitty area up there, and how did your cat(s) like it? A separate issue is getting the cat adjusted to life on the road, but the standard pattern for the cats I have belonged to seems to have been a short period of freaking out and hiding (and complaining) followed by curiosity, then realizing it's actually comfortable and secure, then enjoying the travel lifestyle immensely. After all, it's a comfy hotel with chauffeur, maid, entertainment, and room service.555Views0likes1CommentRe: Bryce National Park
Also, you have to pay for an escort through the tunnel, and while that's happening, you'll be blocking all traffic in both directions. The road into and out of Zion to the east isn't exactly motorhome-friendly even if you don't consider the tunnel. It might be better to take the long way around from Bryce--Hwy 20 west to I-15, south to Hwy 9 just north of St. George, thence into the park. Somewhat longer, but probably much easier. If it's March or later in the year, you (and any other vehicles) may not even be admitted into the park, due to very limited parking (unless you have a campground reservation). You'd have to park in Hurricane and take the shuttle bus in. You also have to use the shuttle bus to visit the northern parts of the park road (Virgin Narrows, etc.) after March 1.442Views0likes0CommentsRe: Toll roads
paulj wrote: Bridges require maintenance. Are there documented cases where bridge or road tolls in excess of operating costs are diverted to general revenue? Especially cases where that is contrary to the toll entities charter? As do roads, overpasses, viaducts, etc. etc. etc. Supposedly, such things are paid for by gas taxes. The situation you describe has been in place for decades in California--with the various SF Bay bridges. In the 70s, money from excessive Golden Gate Bridge tolls (excessive, as in far more than were needed to cover operating costs) was used to create the Golden Gate Transit district, which was basically a bunch of buses to transport commuters from Marin to the City. Then, since they charged fares for those buses that covered operating costs, the next big project--also paid for with Golden Gate Bridge tolls--was to build a fleet of luxury ferryboats and a terminal in Larkspur to dock them. The current toll to cross the Golden Gate Bridge is $6/7 and all profits go to the District to fund various projects. The District is currently averaging a surplus of 45 million dollars over the last ten years. That surplus would be even greater if the funds were only allocated for bridge maintenance--only 28% of tolls are spent for that purpose. Despite that, the toll on the Golden Gate Bridge will go up to $8 in April. San Francisco is the only city in the country besides New York that charges admission.888Views0likes0Comments
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